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Posted by catmandoo (Member # 1284) on 11-27-2015, 09:35 PM:

Tai Wynyard knows going against Skal Labissiere, Marcus Lee and Isaac Humphries daily in practice will make him improve after he gets to Kentucky in December to join the team.

Kentucky coach John Calipari says going against NBA talent like that daily helps players far more than facing future NBA talent in eight to 10 games per year.

“I think it's going to be a real test of my capabilities (going against them), especially me not getting the training that they have been getting,” Tai Wynyard said. “I will be slightly behind, but I will work hard and use my strength to make up for it.”

Calipari has not told Wynyard whether he will play the second semester or redshirt to save a year of eligibility and just practice with the team. He says either decision is fine with him.

Link

Posted by catmandoo (Member # 1284) on 11-30-2015, 09:58 AM:

If he is not going to be a 4 year player why not play him second semester?

Posted by boomdaddy (Member # 2644) on 12-01-2015, 01:03 AM:

Not sure how old this young man is. Is he 17 or 18? Either way, I think he will end up being a banger type player that will crash the boards but also have offensive skills.

Posted by catmandoo (Member # 1284) on 12-01-2015, 09:27 AM:

If Cal thinks he is good enough to help this season he will play him in a heart beat.

[ 12-01-2015, 03:39 PM: Message edited by: catmandoo ]

Posted by SCWC (Member # 2464) on 12-01-2015, 12:25 PM:

He certainly is not ahead of Willis or Humphries for that matter, I just don't see any playing time for him this season, or next for that matter with the recruiting class we have coming in. I think he is making a mistake coming to UK, he will get to practice against the best but will see very little playing time in Cal's system. He is a big, raw kid, much like Humphries. Humphries did not even get in last nights game did he????

Posted by WildcatFanatic (Member # 2932) on 12-01-2015, 03:31 PM:

You're right. Humphries didn't play last night. Maybe when he saw how Skal was being shut out he saw no sense in putting Humphries in. It was a different kind of game. Skal only had 2 pts. - both free throws.

Posted by Bama Cat (Member # 153) on 12-01-2015, 03:42 PM:

I was noticing that he wasn't playing last night. Thought maybe Cal didn't think he could keep up with the fast pace? He could have surely been a force inside. I think the reason Skal didn't score much or get any rebounds was his player he was guarding was away from the basket pulling him away also. As far as Tai goes I do think he can get some minutes. But only if Cal doesn't get so involved in the game he forgets who he has left on the bench. I firmly believe that we are close to having too many good guys for Cal to use them all. Next year could be even worse. He could have as many as he had last year when he went to the platoon system. I'm not so sure if getting this many top players and not being able to play all of them might cause us to lose a few good guys in the future. The lady cats lost another top player (4) who left the team. The one who played in high school with Epps. Not sure what is going on there either. Their roster is starting to get pretty low, maybe 8 left?

Posted by catmandoo (Member # 1284) on 12-01-2015, 03:57 PM:

I'm sure Skal will see more of the man he is guarding doing the same thing of taking him away from the basket. I'm sure the coachs will be working on it right away. He looked lost last night and the game wasn't pretty. We never could pull away from them the whole game.

Posted by Tiptree (Member # 844) on 12-01-2015, 04:04 PM:

Hmmm.... if we are playing offense, and Skal's man is 'pulling him outside', then we have a problem. [Smile]

I didn't see the game, but a mobile big man with some range on his shot like Skal should have been able to score. And rebound. He must have just had "one of those nights".

Posted by SCWC (Member # 2464) on 12-01-2015, 04:21 PM:

Tiptree is right, Skal getting pulled away from the basket on defense has absolutely nothing to do with what he does on the offensive end of the floor. I personally though Briscoe and Murray made very little effort to get him the ball down low. Skal has a lot to learn about the college game, much more than I had anticipated with his lofty rankings coming out of high school. I am no fan of Briscoe and Murray's shot selection when using the dribble drive, they like to spin too much and throw up off balance, flashy shots much too often. They certainly do need Ulis in the lineup to keep the other guards playing the game the way it is supposed to be played. I can see why Cal gets frustrated with Briscoe and Murray at times. Matthews is turning out to be a very pleasant suprise from this group of freshmen.

[ 12-01-2015, 04:24 PM: Message edited by: SCWC ]

Posted by catmandoo (Member # 1284) on 12-01-2015, 10:01 PM:

Ray and TT, Skal was playing defense and the opposing center was playing away from the basket which took Skal from his normal rebounding position near the basket.

Bama posts: I think the reason Skal didn't score much or get any rebounds was his player he was guarding was away from the basket pulling him away also

CMD posts:I'm sure Skal will see more of the man he is guarding doing the same thing of taking him away from the basket. I'm sure the coachs will be working on it right away.

Posted by SCWC (Member # 2464) on 12-02-2015, 11:20 AM:

Cal has normally had all of his defenders to switch whom they are guarding in situations like you describe Bruce. Skal only got to play sixteen minutes in the game, never got in the flow and was not a factor on either end of the floor. Cal went with what he considered better perimeter defenders, one reason Hawkins got twenty plus minutes, Alex, Lee, Briscoe and MurraMatthews for much of the game.

I could clearly see why Skal did not play in this game, he was totally lost on both ends of the floor for some reason or another.

[ 12-02-2015, 12:42 PM: Message edited by: SCWC ]